IT will be up to good weather to allow for a good contest and with scores of over 500 runs in the first and second Test matchess India is the in-form team as it battles the West Indies today.
The home team will be hoping to turn the fortunes around in the third Seagram’s Royal Stag Cup Test at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Ground. That match bowls off from 10:00 a.m.
The WICB selection panel headed by Courtney Browne has made one change to the squad that drew the second Test against the visiting India team; 22-year-old Shai Hope, the Barbadian batsman, comes in for Rajendra Chandrika.
India leads the four-Test series 1 – 0 following their first Test win at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua by innings and 92 runs and the West Indies making a remarkable comeback to draw the second Test at Sabina Park, thanks to a career best unbeaten 137 by Roston Chase; captain Jason Holder not out 64, Shane Dowrich 74 and Jermain Blackwood 63.
Following the drawn game at Sabina Park on Wednesday July 3 , the West Indies captain Jason Holder said; “With a performance like this, it’s important we don’t fall back into old habits, that we just don’t take two steps backwards. It’s important we just keep looking for ways to improve.”
The home team had two full days of training at the DSCG. But from all indications the Windies captain will be hoping that the top order comes good this time around in their shot selection on a wicket that is expected to favour both batsman and bowlers like previous matches played at that venue.
Meanwhile, Shane Dowrich, on the eve of the Test match said, “The team is in good spirits after showing some fighting character in the last Test match to get to a draw at Sabina Park. We are up and ready for another fight in this game against India. If we put our best foot forward, we can come up with a good performances.
For Indian coach, Anil Kumble, his team won’t be dwelling too much on the opportunity that they lost in the second Test. Kumble said his players did well and was just a combination of excellent rearguard batting from the opposition and overs lost due to rain on the fourth day.
The West Indies will select its final eleven from the following squad-Jason Holder (Captain), Kraigg Brathwaite (Vice Captain), Darren Bravo, DevendraBishoo, Roston Chase, Jermaine Blackwood, Marlon Samuels, Carlos Brathwaite, Shane Dowrich, Leon Johnson, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Miguel Cummins and Alzarri Joseph.
The India squad reads – ViratKohli (captain), ShikharDhawan, M Vijay, Stuart Binny, KL Rahul, R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, CheteshwarPujara, AjinkyaRahane, Mohammed Shami, WriddhimanSaha (wicketkeeper), RavindraJadeja, Amit Mishra and Ishant Sharma.